A medical research team in France recently discovered that

Question

A medical research team in France recently discovered that people with a low risk of heart disease tend to also have low stress levels. The team concluded that a healthy cardiovascular system can protect people from the stress of modern life.

The research team's conclusion depends on which of the following?

A. Medical and pharmaceutical treatments of stress are more effective than psychological treatment. 
B. People with high stress levels are more likely to have serious heart disease than are those who have low stress levels. 
C. High stress levels do not increase one's chances of suffering from heart disease. 
D. Other medical studies indicate that stress levels in citizens of industrialized countries have increased over the last thirty years, as the world becomes increasingly more complex and hectic. 
E. People without heart disease also tend to have their blood pressure within an acceptable range.

Bunuel · Accepted Answer

OFFICIAL EXPLANATION

This is a Supply the Assumption question. The argument is that a strong cardiovascular system protects you from high stress (good heart leads to low stress). So we want to strengthen that idea with the correct answer choice.

None of A, B, D, or E strengthen that conclusion. C, the correct answer, does so, by eliminating the possibility that the logic in the argument is backward, i.e. that it is actually high stress which causes heart disease. By eliminating the possibility that the researchers have actually reversed cause and effect, C is therefore the best answer.

ChrisLele · Answer

This one is a question of cause and effect. Does a healthy cardiovascular system protect people from stress? Or does low stress lead to a healthy cardiovascular system and thus a decreased susceptibility to heart disease?

The argument reasons that a healthy cardiovascular system protects against stress. For this reasoning to be valid, the possibility that low stress is healthy for the heart, must be discounted.

Let’s look at (B) and (C), which are relevant to the argument.

(B) This states that stress is unhealthy for the heart, which is opposite to the conclusion.

(C) Correctly discounts the possibility that stress is a cause of heart disease, therefore strengthening the research team’s conclusion that a healthy cardiovascular system protects against stress. (The Answer).

manalq8 · Answer

its a causality arguments

A leads to B
the correct answer choice needs to show that if no b, then no a. or, since A causes b, then the answer needs to show that B does NOT cause A
which is states in answer choice C.

hope this helps

mysterio · Answer

premise 1 : research team discovers that people with low heart disease risk ( lets call it A) also have low stress level ( say it B) 
conclusion : healthy cardiovascular system ( A) can protect from lower stress (B) . therefore conclusion say A -> B . but what if B ( lower stress level ) lead to A (increases chances of heart disease) . Thus a correct assumption should end this possibility. This is what option C does.

tanzzt · Answer

I agree for the reason. In addition I think because option B uses the word "more likely" which gives an opportunity that stress is a cause of heart disease,, whereas in option C completely impossible that stress is a cause of heart disease.

AkshdeepS · Answer

The research team's conclusion depends on which of the following?  
  
Smartly written passage :

Conclusion : Healthy heart can protect against stress (in general). No mention of low stress or high stress.

Premise : People with low risk of heart disease have low stress.

See the jump from "low stress" to "no stress" in general.

If we can prove that any kind of stress doesn't lead to heart disease, we can say conclusion is true.

A, C, E are non relevant.

B. This shows that low stress, not that likely but in few cases, may lead to unhealthy heart. No supporting our cause.

C. High stress don't increase chances of heart disease. Bingo. It covers low, medium, high all types of stresses.

A Medical and pharmaceutical treatments of stress are more effective than psychological treatment.

B People with high stress levels are more likely to have serious heart disease than are those who have
 low stress levels.

C High stress levels do not increase one's chances of suffering from heart disease.

D Other medical studies indicate that stress levels in citizens of industrialized countries have increased over the last thirty years, as the world becomes increasingly more complex and hectic.

E People without heart disease also tend to have their blood pressure within an acceptable range.

VerbalBot · Answer

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A medical research team in France recently discovered that

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